


Movie Night

by Archer973



Category: Leverage
Genre: F/M, Movie Night, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-30
Updated: 2014-07-30
Packaged: 2018-02-11 01:57:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,388
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2049021
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Archer973/pseuds/Archer973
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which there is homemade pizza, cuddling, and Eliot thinks too much.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Movie Night

_Almost out of basil_ , Eliot thought to himself as he put the finishing touches on the pizza. _I’ll have to get some more this weekend. The farmer’s market should be open._ Nodding absently, Eliot added the last Greek olive and picked up the solid, earthenware pizza stone, intending to put it in the already pre-heated oven. He almost dropped it, however, when a cheery voice from behind him said, “Wow, that looks delicious!”

Swearing, Eliot whipped around, pizza balanced on one hand while the other half-curled into a fist. He relaxed, however, when he saw who exactly had startled him. Parker was sitting on the counter he had been working at just moments before, smiling happily and eyeing the pizza intently.

“Dammit, Parker!” Eliot growled, glaring at the thief while trying subtly to find her entry point. “I told you, don’t sneak up on me!”

“But, it’s Thursday,” Parker replied, looking confused. “You know that every Thursday is movie day. So you knew that we were coming.”

“Yes, but usually people use the freakin’ front door!” Eliot grumbled, even though he knew it was pointless. Parker was Parker. Even if she was dying she wouldn’t use the front door. “Speaking of ‘we’, where is your pain in the ass boyfriend?”

As if summoned by Eliot’s words, there was a knock on the door, followed by the sound of said door opening and Hardison entering the apartment, calling out greetings to both Eliot and Parker, who jumped off the counter and bounced into the living room. Eliot rolled his eyes as he heard a squeak of surprise from Hardison and Parker giggling. Opening the oven door, he finally put the pizza in to cook and set the timer before exiting the kitchen.

“’Sup, Eliot,” Hardison said, though his voice was muffled due to the fact that his upper half was under Eliot’s coffee table, which had been pushed back against the wall and now housed a rather impressively sized monitor. Hardison connected the last wire and the screen came to life. Satisfied with his handiwork, Hardison wiggled out from under the table and stood up, grinning from ear to ear.

“I still don’t see why you don’t just let me leave this thing here, man,” Hardison said, gesturing to the monitor. “Instead I have to bust my back every week hauling it up the stairs ‘cause you won’t fix the damn elevator.”

“It’s good for you,” Eliot retorted, glowering half-heartedly at the younger man. “I still don’t see why we have to do this at my place, when headquarters would work just as well.”

“No!” Parker said sharply from where she was sitting on the back of the couch. “This is ‘us’ time, which means not work time, which means we stay away from everything work related, including headquarters. Sophie called it ‘bonding time’ and said it was very important, so we do what Sophie says. Besides, there’s good food here.”

“You heard the lady,” Hardison said, smirking at Eliot as he plopped down on one end of the sofa, which was really only designed to hold two people. Parker slipped off the back to sit beside him, immediately snuggling into his side. Hardison wrapped an arm around her shoulders and looked at Eliot expectantly, remote in hand. Grumbling to himself, Eliot flopped down on Parker’s other side, scooting over so that he was sitting as close to the armrest as possible.

“So what are we watching today?” Parker asked, looking up at Hardison, excitement coloring her voice.

“Today, my friends, I will share with you the masterpiece that is _The Fellowship of the Ring_ ,” Hardison replied proudly, pressing play and settling back into the couch, a smug grin on his face.

“Yay, I haven’t seen this one yet!” Parker exclaimed, grinning and staring intently at the screen as the previews started to roll.

“Hold on a minute, isn’t this that movie with the elves and hairy midgets?” Eliot asked, turning to glare at Hardison.

“Hobbits, Eliot,” Hardison said, covering his eyes with his hand, his voice that of the long-suffering. “They’re called hobbits.”

“That movie’s three freakin’ hours long, man!” Eliot exclaimed, gesturing towards the screen, the beginning of a growl creeping into his voice.

“Have you got better things to do with your afternoon?” Hardison shot back, looking at Eliot with his “let’s-be-real” expression on his face. Eliot opened his mouth to answer, but Parker cut him off.

“Oh c’mon, Eliot, don’t be like that!” she said, twisting around so she was facing him, brown eyes full of pleading. “I really, really, _really_ want to see this movie!”

“Then you and Hardison can watch it one your own time,” Eliot retorted, trying to avoid her imploring gaze.

“But it’s not the same without you there,” Parker replied, twisting her body and doing a rather impressive flip that ended with her straddling Eliot’s knees. “Please?”

“Parker, get off me!”

“Please?!”

“I said get off!”

“I’ll get off if you say you’ll watch the movie with us.”

“Alright, fine!” Parker let out a yip of glee at Eliot’s assent and flipped over so that she was no longer straddling his legs, pressing up against Hardison’s side again.

“So we good?” the younger man asked, barely able to conceal his grin at the antics of his girlfriend. He took Eliot’s growl as a “yes” and hit play, starting the movie.

Eliot tried to remain stiff and stone-faced, but before he knew it the movie had drawn him in. He hadn’t realized that twenty minutes had gone by when the oven timer went off. Hardison paused the movie and Eliot got up to get the food. He brought out two slices of Greek olive and (shudder) pepperoni pizza for everyone and the movie resumed.

Eliot hated pepperoni, but Parker always insisted on it. Eliot picked the offending pieces of preserved nastiness off his slices and set them to the side. He never saw them leave his plate, but Parker always looked smug and happy, so he had a pretty good idea of where they went.

As the movie progressed, Parker seemed to take up more and more of the couch. For such a small human being she sure knew how to monopolize a space. Before Eliot even realized what was happening her head was in his lap and Hardison had shifted closer in order to support her lower body. Eliot looked at the blond in his lap, then at Hardison, who must have seen some sort of question in his eyes, for he nodded and smiled, rubbing Parker’s thighs affectionately.

Hesitantly, unsure of why he was even doing it, Eliot gently carded his fingers through Parker’s hair. The woman in his lap practically purred with contentment, snuggling closer, eyes still fixed on the screen, but Eliot could see a small smile turning up the corner of her mouth.

Eliot bit his lower lip, glancing sideways at Hardison again, but continued to gently stroke Parker’s hair, letting the silky strands run through his fingers like water. Hardison grinned at Eliot, nudging his shoulder affectionately, rolling his eyes when Eliot stopped playing with Parker’s hair, causing the blonde to let out a noise of disapproval. Reaching over, Hardison gently grabbed Eliot’s wrist and guided his hand back down until it rested on Parker’s head. He smiled at the hitter, nodding his head, before turning back to the movie.

Eliot sat there with his hand on Parker’s head, but he didn’t move. This whole situation was… he wasn’t even sure how to describe it. Wrong, maybe. Uncomfortable, awkward, unacceptable. But he couldn’t bring himself to use any of those words. Because it didn’t _feel_ wrong, or uncomfortable, or like it shouldn’t be happening. It felt… right. But it shouldn’t. One of the cardinal rules is never poach on a friend’s girl, even if she throws herself into your lap. Yet Hardison didn’t seem to have a problem with it, even encouraging him…

“Eliot.” Parker’s voice was low and languid. “Stop thinking.” So Eliot did. He shoved all the little voices away and just enjoyed the feel of Parker in his lap, the soft texture of her hair, and the warm weight of Hardison on his left side. He let his muscles relax and welcomed the security that came with being surrounded by his team.


End file.
